My Not So Imaginary Friend
by Kagomes Kit
Summary: For as long as she could remember he had always been by her side. He had been her best friend, although only she could ever see him. It was odd but then again, that was the point of imaginary friends. Only Kuronue isn't as imaginary as she thought and neither are his feelings
1. Chapter 1

**My Not So Imaginary Friend**

**For as long as she could remember he had always been by her side. He had been her best friend, although only she could ever see him. It was odd but then again, that was the point of imaginary friends. Only Kuronue isn't as imaginary as she thought and neither are his feelings**

**Disclaimer: Neither Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho are owned by me. I am simply using the animes and their characters for the enjoyment and entertainment of my readers.**

**Chapter One**

The world around him through his eyes of once a stunning violet shinned as crimson as the blood moon, and looked as fragile as the most delicate of glass. The city his world was made to be was both lifeless and soundless the only figures to be seen other than himself the unclear shadows of humans that walked the crimson streets that mirrored their own. Those shadows brought to his world an eerie sight, but not much could be done to fix their involvement in his world. He was housed in a jewel, a demon's jewel, thus only darkness was allowed inside. Humans who held all their sinful ways in their shadows appeared as such in this world and were only seen as that. They lived as shadows within the world of jewel following the actions that their true, physical selves did in the true world of humanity. If one followed a shadow they would watch as it went to work or school, interacted with other shadows with its silent voice, found its way home, and did whatever it pleased, yet in his eyes one would be a fool to do such a thing.

There was no interest in anything of relation to humans in his eyes. Although he had knowledge of having been passed to and from humans, he never cared for them. The owners of his treasure had no face in his world and no place of worthiness to be thought of. Whoever kept his treasure as theirs was simply just a tool used to carry him around so that he could find some amusement in this world for whatever in it surrounded him, depended on what surrounded the owner in the real world. Through his owners and the world around them and in result him he had watched as battles between shadows, humans, came and went some turning into wars and others into peace. He watched as the world he lived in that use to be made of crimson glass huts and farms slowly transformed into areas of great buildings and roads as the shadows evolved along with the humans they represented. He watched and learned many things while walking the quiet roads of his crimson glass world, yet everything he saw and everything he learned never changed his thoughts on humans.

They were every bit the pathetic beings they had been in his original time, only now they were pathetic people in larger homes with water that didn't need to be transported by hand and lighting that didn't come from fires and sun. They were fools, but they were advanced fools yet one thing that he had learned in his time with his greatest friend and partner was that often the biggest fools of all were those who had greatness and power. Not everything was known about current times to him, but he was sure that somewhere there was a man with power leading himself and those around him to doom.

"Humans truly are pitiful things."He mused to himself his words unlike anything else booming in this world and oddly enough at the sound of it the shadow before that him he was unknowingly following jumped and paused.

Its dark head tilted and slowly turned this way and that before the shadow moved in what seemed to be a sigh and lowered its head, looking down at a hand that slowly rose to show the only thing he could truly see in this world for what it really was:

His pendant.

Its red gem alike the red glass of this world and its silver casing still as wonderful as it used to be the pendant which was left without a box or bag was slowly raised before the shadow's head as the man outside this world stared at it.

**x.x.x**

Jumping at a rather loud voice that seemed to come from his side a man who looked rather young yet not overly so slowly turned head from side to side in confusion looking for the one who had startled him, yet all around people walked on without any hint or surprise that another had spoken so loudly. Still he looked but with no sign of any speaker he sighed and instead lowered his head a bit, brown eyes catching the sight of the gift he had just bought as his hand raised it up.

It was a beautiful thing and although left without any wrapping or box due to his need to hurry he thought that it would be a lovely present for the girl he was planning to give it to. Red wasn't a color he had ever seen her be dressed in, but there was something about the silver cased pendant that seemed fitting or her and with an imagined expression of joy and happiness on the soon to be receiver's face the man with a spout of energy bounced on his heels a bit and began walking again. His pace was quick and his smile large, looking odd when worn by him. He knew that to others he came off as stern and hard looking. He was welt built, tall with natural strong arms and a chest of rock that most Japanese men didn't have. The complete opposite of his wife who was small and every bit the Japanese woman she was raised to be. Even so he was childish at heart and once long steps came into view he, unable to hold himself back began to run up the steps taking some two at a time even in order to reach the top faster.

When he finally did he paused, panting and gasping but still smiling as he allowed his body to calm and his breathing to slow. The air where he was, was fresher than most areas he knew and with a deep breath of cleaner than average air he closed off his brown gaze to the world and enjoyed a moment of peace.

Though that peace was replaced with welcomed interruption when a sweet person called out to him.

"Tou-san!"

**x.x.x**

Watching somewhat curiously as the shadow simply stood still and breathed he crossed his arms and with a certain sense of boredom looked around the new area of his glass world. Crimson trees, crimson glass buildings and more made up a shrine of glass and with a narrowed gaze he went to leave the shadow of his pendant's current owner in order to retreat from holy grounds when something unexpected happened.

"Tou-san!"

Someone called yet the words had no time to register in his head before he dropped to his knees, body shaking unstably as shock after shock racked through his body seemly eating away his soul if the intense pain was anything to go by. He felt as if he was being ripped apart and without knowledge as to why or how he could only struggle and growl refusing to scream even in a world where no one would hear.

"It's so pretty Tou-san!"

Again words reached his ears but bot his mind as the pain increased. If he had enough will to open the eyes he didn't even know were closed he would have seen the shadow he had followed bending down in front of oddly enough not a shadow, but a figure of holy light and would have watched as his pendant was slipped around the light's head. He would have seen that light slowly fade and the image of a young girl comes to view in his glass world. He would have seen the way her sparkling eyes smiled at his pendant before blinking and turning in his direction with confusion and if he hadn't fallen victim to darkness then he would have caught her words as well.

"Did Tou-san bring me a new friend too?"

**x.x.x**

Casting a worried look through the window of her home a young woman frowned softly to herself as she watched her newly turned five daughter run about outside her laughter and calls easily heard with the peaceful silence of their home grounds. The young girl although like any child seemed to be enjoying herself a thing most wouldn't worry over, but what stumped her was the fact that her child ever since running out to meet her father hours ago had been speaking to herself, a form of play the girl never showed before now. There was playfulness and joy in her young voice but also the concern the girl would often show her kitten when the poor thing overfed itself. It seemed like nothing more than an act but at the same time the act seemed all too real.

"Kuro-san," a name never heard until that day was spoken again for what seemed the hundredth time so far and her worry grew as she watched her daughter come to stand before the steps of the shrine, her small head tilted to the side innocently. "Kuro-san, when will you wake?" apparently this "Kuro-san" had been "sleeping" for a long while. "Kuro-san?"

Still watching her child she was startled when two strong arms came from nowhere and gently wrapped around her waist. She was pulled into a strong body and with a small smile tilted her head back to meet the soft kiss of her husband.

"Are you still watching her, koi?" Her husband questioned as they pulled their lips apart. "I told you that its okay didn't I? It's just an imaginary friend. Many children have them."

"I know," she began nibbling on her lip in a nervous habit. "It's just…this Kuro-san came out of nowhere. This morning I've never heard the name, but suddenly by the time the afternoon rolls in its all I hear from her? Shouldn't there have been signs? It just doesn't seem right…"

"All is well." Was assured and before she could open her mouth to speak a hand placed itself on her stomach and the secret weapon was pulled. "Stress isn't good for the baby."

Huffing a bit in reply she pouted teasingly at her love before turning her head back to the window and leaning her body against his own. Her eyes still filled with worry simply enjoyed the sight of her daughter playing so joyfully. Her husband was right, things would be alright….

Yet when her daughter reached out in front of her and the red jewel of the pendant around her daughter's neck hit the light, she could have sworn that an image of a man lying before her daughter flashed to life, but a quick blink and it was gone and with her nerves suddenly grown she closed her eyes.

_It was only an imaginary friend._

**x.x.x**

**There you have it my dear readers! The first redone chapter to My Not So Imaginary Friend! It isn't much but I hope you all enjoyed it!**

**Please take the time to review. I honestly love what you all say!**

**Kagomes Kit**


	2. Chapter 2

**My Not So Imaginary Friend**

**For as long as she could remember he had always been by her side. He had been her best friend, although only she could ever see him. It was odd but then again, that was the point of imaginary friends. Only Kuronue isn't as imaginary as she thought and neither are his feelings**

**Disclaimer: Neither Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho are owned by me. I am simply using the animes and their characters for the enjoyment and entertainment of my readers.**

**Chapter Two**

Bolts of electricity that had followed him into the darkness of his faint slowly began to dwindle into minor shocks of numbness as he slowly came to his mind too burnt out from a pain unlike any other he had felt to realize the oddity of the pain itself. Spirits such as himself were not easily harmed by the mere presence of an odd girl, yet at the moment such knowledge or remembrance of the girl he had glanced at before his horrible shock was unimportant. He was too drained to think let alone analyze anything deeply so with a grunt that echoed in the silence of his world he, slowly as if his ghostly bones would suddenly impossibly shatter, brought himself to his knees before raising up onto unsteady feet.

Again abnormalities came close to enlighten when his normally even breaths (not needed but instead taken as habit from his time of life) came out as harsh pants. He was shaking as well and had he known better would have thought a layer of sweat to have gathered on his brow but still his mind did not process how wrong this information was as he instead focused on halting the shaking of his legs that begged to give out.

"Kuro-san…?"

Although the gasp he would have made was forcefully ripped away from his lips before it could escape, Kuronue much to his own self disappointment could not stop the sudden surprise from throwing him back to the floors his legs having had enough already as they shook once…twice…then bucked. The impact of his body against the crimson glass floors was soundless yet somehow harmful, especially when he began to tumble down glass steps still closely behind him. His mind still slow and his body unresponsive to the instincts within him that screamed for his limbs to move and protect himself Kuronue was shamefully helpless to the crimson steps and suffered through the rolling fall from step to step until he finally came to a painful halt at the bottom.

The call of "Kuro-san!" was loud and fearful in contrast to his silent glass world.

**x.x.x**

Despite her husband's words the mother of the household could not stop herself from hovering close to any view of her daughter, her worried eyes watching closely as if some dangerous force would suddenly appear with harmful intentions. She had full faith in her love's words, trusted him with her entire heart, yet with one child still not yet born the one running about outside while chatting to herself happily was the only little one she had and she would be damned before anything happened to her.

Only it was her near obsessive supervising that nearly gave her a heart attack when suddenly out of nowhere and without warning her daughter cried out "Kuro-san" and dashed straight down the shrine steps. Fear only a mother could have for her loved child filled her heart at the sight of that small back disappearing and without thought she hurried after the girl at a slow yet fast pace so that the baby within her wouldn't be damaged. The shrine steps although made of a strong stone were no place for a run! If not careful Kagome would trip and…

She moved just a little bit faster.

**x.x.x**

Growling loudly and angrily as he finally caught control over his wildly shaking body Kuronue once again attempted to raise himself up but got no further than an ungraceful slouch before a small figure appeared. At first he dismissed the figure as another shadow for even the children of human blood held the darkness needed to be shown in his world but within one quick glance he saw pale skin, dark hair, and large eyes of blue spilling over with tears that unlike anything else within his world held a scent-this one of salt.

It was those very eyes that captivated him for a slight moment in time before a weak, whispered "Kuro-san" was called in a mockery of his name. That one short sentence if even a sentence at all was enough to break the chains pulling his focus to the girl and with instinct no longer held away he with the sudden strength of a thousand men, jumped back from the girl. One leap put a good distance between them and the girl, stunned, gasped before taking a timid step forward some foreign emotion of worry in her gaze.

"Kuro-san…?"

**x.x.x**

The response of her Kuro-san was not the soft, gentle words she had expected or the handsome smile she envisioned. Instead the man who looked to her like some dark prince of the night _snarled _at her and stretched his fingers the sharp claws catching her attention as well as the leather-like wings that twitched madly behind him. The word prince she had titled to him was quickly replaced with monster and she stepped back her tears of worry becoming those of fear but before she could even think to run (because that's what children did when faced with monsters) Kuro-san lunged.

Those sharp claws held out before him the monster, Kuro-kun, threw himself at her and with a terrified shriek she closed her eyes as all children do when scared and dropped to her knees, small arms covering her head as if that small action would gift her with all the protection of the gods. Her tears were no longer tears but instead came as loud sobs and shakes that raked down her body and covered her with fear, the same fear that became her savior.

**x.x.x**

He wasn't sure why his instincts called for him to attack the girl but him not being one to question the motives his demonic nature gave him, shot off from his spot on the crimson floors and lunged at the young girl. His lethal claws were out before him lusting for blood but just as they were about to slice into her crouched and shaking form the girl screamed and a pulse went through his world as the girl's fear made the pendant she wore, his pendant, glow. Crimson was its normal bloody tint but the pendant flashed a startling blue before another pulse was sent through his world again followed by another and another.

The pulses soundless yet strong shook everything and once he realized he had stopped because of them Kuronue quickly regained his focus and reached out to make the slash needed to end the girl in his world only now there was hesitation as he slowly moved his hand closer and closer to her the pulses growing with the decreasing distance until finally the tip of a claw brushed against her head.

With that small touch between the two, Fate lit the match that burnt his world.

Like a bomb being dropped into his world everything was suddenly destroyed as once last pulse came before a sudden explosion of light. That light, brighter than the sun he remembered from long ago, filled every inch of his crimson colored world and blinded him just as his hearing was filled with nothing but the sound of shattering glass. The sound was strong as if a thousand glasses were broken at once but dropped into silence just as quickly as it sounded, so quickly in fact that Kuronue thought he was now deaf as well as mind for his sight had yet to return. There was still nothing but light in his gaze and an absence of noise, greater than it had always been but then, then noise came.

It was quiet as first. So quiet that he almost missed it but the sound strangely familiar came from above his head as a soft quickened fluttering. Almost like a butterflies wings, yet he knew it was impossible. There were not people in his world, let alone bugs. And there was not noise something he knew to be true…which was why he jumped when a birds sharp song suddenly cut through one ear and the rustling of what sounded like leafs came through the other.

The noises did not stop there though. Sound after sound came and slowly did his sight come as well. At first he only saw blurry images but then those blurry images cleared and the true pictures could be seen.

All of which were not colored in crimson.

"K…Kuro-sa…san?" a timid whisper shaking with fear. "Kuro-san...?"

The monstrosity his name was made to be was ignored as well as everything else but the shock he could not force away as he slowly turned his eyes back to the young girl. His senses were overwhelmed by this world of noise and color he had since long ago forgotten while in his crimson glass world but still he focused on the girl. She was shaking, fear smothering her scent, yet she was either brave or stupid enough to look up at him her entire form looking oddly drained in his eyes, although he wasn't sure why he picked up such an unimportant detail. He didn't care about the girl herself but instead about what she did because although she seemed normal enough he had no doubt that she was the cause of all this:

She had somehow shattered his world.

Literally.

The crimson glass…the silence and shadows…they were gone although his spirit was not. That light, whatever it was, had taken it all away from him and still staring he could only manage to speak silence while watching her suddenly slip her eyes closed and slump into a faint much like he earlier had.

**x.x.x**

Finally making it near the bottom of the shrine steps her worry and fear grew upon seeing her little girl lying on the bottom of the steps out cold and looking to be dead to the world. Quickly she rushed to the girl's side and sobbing a bit checked the girl over looking for bumps, blood, scratches, anything…anything that would tell her what happened or if she fell. Only no signs of a fall were seen so with a somewhat relieved air about her but still much worry, she picked her baby girl up and slowly made her way up the steps unsure whether to be happy or scared and simply settling on uneasy. She wasn't sure what happened during the short time her daughter wasn't in her view but something told her that it wasn't any little event. She could feel the change in the air surrounding Kagome but for now pushed any and all thoughts away other than getting her daughter into a bed. Even so, a sudden urge to glance back took her over and she paused a bit on a step to look behind her.

She jumped at the sight of a dark looking man and nearly screamed until she realized after a blink that there was no man there.

_It must have been her imagination._

**x.x.x**

**I'm not very happy with this chapter. I think it could have been better but I needed some form of a chapter two so the story could move along. I hope you all enjoyed it at least a little!**

**If it isn't too much trouble please review! I always light up when reading them! Although lack of reviews won't make me update slower so no one has to.**

**Thank You**

**Kagomes Kit**


	3. Chapter 3

**My Not So Imaginary Friend**

**For as long as she could remember he had always been by her side. He had been her best friend, although only she could ever see him. It was odd but then again, that was the point of imaginary friends. Only Kuronue isn't as imaginary as she thought and neither are his feelings**

**Disclaimer: Neither Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hawkish are owned by me. I am simply using the animes and their characters for the enjoyment and entertainment of my readers.**

**Chapter Three**

His glass world had been his prison. The crimson jeweled world his glass cage and the silence the chains that bound him that world although made from the binding of his soul to his pendant was a hell far greater than the one he would have been dragged to. It was a place of silence and solace, yet a place where one could easily go mad and now after five hundred years spent kept in that world he was freed. Neither by the renewal of life nor by the wish of any greater beings such as the gods, instead he was freed…by a simple human child.

He no longer regretted his hesitation in ending her.

Not to say that there wasn't still a calling from within him to end her, there still was, but he found himself pleased that he hadn't finished her off before his freedom came and perhaps that pleasure would have saved the girl's life had he also not have owed her. He was never one to enjoy the tight chains of debt so although she gave him peace from the crimson world, she also unknowingly gave him a debt to her for the action of freeing him. He owed her…and decided to break those chains for the pure sake of his pride. That decision had been made hours ago when the sun was still high and although it had not changed a problem was brought to his attention.

He could not harm her.

There was not another force that kept him from pressing his claws into her neck, but instead the thing that kept him from injuring her was in fact nothing other than himself. For one reason or another whenever he pushed himself to grasp that fragile neck with his ghostly hand…the wind would sing to him that mockery of his name and bring with it the glimpse of the girl's teary eyes he had seen earlier before her faint and he, with no excuse, would draw back and look away ashamed of his own pitiful actions.

Many more hours later he came to the conclusion that "It would be unrewarding to kill someone as they slept" and flew away to explore the night of the human world in color and sound, a promise in his head to return when day came and end her then.

**x.x.x**

When it did near the time he set to follow out his plans on killing the girl Kuronue had been smirking in delight at what would soon be his first taste of death in years, yet upon reaching that shrine where he quickly spotted the girl playing without signs of the previous day's faint his plans were stilled with two blue eyes and a smile worth more than any jewel he had ever seen. Neither the eyes or smile were directed at him but still he felt an odd sensation go through him, something close to nervousness, and when he caught the slight movement of her head…he quickly flew off before she could spot him.

He wasn't in the mood for murder just yet, he reasoned to himself.

**x.x.x**

His next attempt didn't come for a few days. Having so foolishly moved about the world of humans without thinking of the result his actions would bring, Kuronue drew the attention of Spirit World to himself and without much choice escaped back to the safety of the shrine, somehow knowing that he wouldn't be found there. The last thing he wanted was for those bastards to gain a grip on his soul and with that in mind he kept himself hidden in a large tree that he quickly found to be placed outside the girl's room. A window gave his eyes access into the room and not very long after he seated himself on a thick branch the door to the room began to open.

Spirit World be dammed. He was long gone before the lights flickered on.

**x.x.x**

Many more opportunities came for him to follow out in ending the girl's life yet those opportunities vanished just as quickly as they were shown, excuses that ranged from sensible to foolish following every failed or ignored attempt on the child's life. His biggest reasoning to himself was that he was never in the mood for murder quite yet, but as time continued to pass him by it became harder to ignore the fact that it didn't seem as if he would _ever _truly be in the "mood" for following out his plans. Procrastination reared its ugly head and hesitation clung to him like a disease he couldn't be rid of and although over time he grew into the obsession of stalking the human's movements in preparation for the perfect moment to attack, after a few months passed he was startled into realizing after witnessing a case of bullying against the girl that his more than unhealthy following of her had nothing to do with ploys on her life anymore.

Instead he had grown _protective _of the human.

Which only caused him to avoid her more than he (horribly) did.

**x.x.x**

Not even a full three hours later he was back to shadowing her from a distance.

**x.x.x**

Unknown to Kuronue who tried so hard to distance himself from the small human child named Kagome the reason as to why every attempt he gave failed was so very simple. It was the ultimate reason that needed none of the poor excuses he babbled up to himself, because it was a reason none could argue with no matter how hard they tried: fate.

It was that always leading him back to her.

And slowly as time moved along normally and that very same chain of fate holding the two together only grew stronger their lives began to intertwine. Although his distance both near yet far from Kagome never changed his role in her life did. A year gone by and he was no longer a stalker but instead a silent protector. He watched her carefully with his excuses still there, only now very rare, and if needed used his influence to aid the youngling however he could. A ghostly form wasn't as useless as one may believe and his presence, when he wanted, was strong and chilling enough to grow a sense of nervousness within any ill intending humans who near. The child during that year at her sixth year of life was safe. No physical harm that was not caused by her own clumsiness came to her and for that entire year she watched while she would laugh and enjoy her innocent life with her family, now with a little brother, while Kuronue kept away content that she wouldn't be harmed.

It was only the second year passing that, that changed and Kuronue found him unable to protect the girl completely. He never failed at keeping her safe in a physical sense, but one rather dark and grey evening he found that life had attacked his charge horribly, _emotionally_.

The girl's father was dead.

Details concerning the cruel matter were kept from the seven year old and her brother, who was only a few months away from being two. The later was too young to fully acknowledge much to begin with, although he began to grow fussy after the long period of time that lacked the deep laughter of his father, and the former although easily understanding that _death _meant she wouldn't ever see her otou-san again was already too broken and unready to hear the gruesome details of why her father was gone. Instead she was told that there had been an accident while driving to cover the truth of a seemly unreasonable _murder _but either way, truth or lie, the girl was hurt and remained as such for the following week until her father's _clawed _and _mangled _body was turned to ash and given to the family for keeping.

And when what little of the girl was left finally crumbled away at the funeral, he made a quick choice that made the fate between the two all the more powerful.

**x.x.x**

_The pass week had been filled with nothing other than grey skies and heavy clouds and now on the day where many came to respect the life of a great man who could be great no more, the rain finally appeared. First light like the stray tears of pity from family that she barely knew, the rain had begun as a simple drizzle but once those near strangers left and the one's closest to the man of ash in his fine pot were left the rain grew heavy and hard as sobs and rivers ripped forth from eyes mouths. Lifetime friends of her father hung their heads like the flowers around them that bowed under the strong dampness of the sky and her mother shook along with her grandfather like the thunder that boomed their bodies vibrating with a pain not many wished to know._

_Souta, her baby brother who was so cute and young was like the wind. Though normally small and powerless at that moment he was strong with fear of the storm and the despair he gathered from those around and his crying screams pierced through the thickness like lightning pierces through the sky. He was perhaps the most of all that was still there but was less than Kagome, for while she was neither the rain for her eyes no longer leaked like they had every day of the former week or was not thunder for she did not shake and neither was she the flowers hung from sorrow or the wind harsh when normally small, she was something far, far greater._

_Kagome was the sky._

_Her eyes so bright and blue normally shined with a glory so magical and brilliant that one found themselves lost within the gaze that when happy could glow. If eyes were a window to the soul then the girl had a soul unlike any other in the world. It was bright and endless with beauty, much like the sky that hung above the heads of all that stretched further than the eye could see, and one look into it through those two twinkling blue orbs would show the lucky viewer the purity of a saint. Very beautiful eyes indeed, but as the sky had grown dark with despair so had those lovely orbs and the soul they windowed and now the gaze was blank and dulled, so much that they were clouded with grey._

_No happiness. No joy. Not a sliver of a smile could be seen through the grey clouds within that gaze and instead anyone who glanced at the child was gifted with nothing but a sadness that seemed to still the life within the small girl. She was frozen with horrid emotion and remained as such as time passed her hand loosely gripped around a black umbrella meant to keep her warm, an impossible deed seeing as of how when it rained the sun would hide from the sky, and happiness as her sun most certainly hid from her now._

_So she was left to chill silent, and dark in front of the shrine built for her father's ashes while slowly those around her began to leave for the comfort of her home. First her mother who although yearning to stay had a toddler to be mindful of and a woman who followed her kindly for comfort, then her grandfather who even when struck by grief himself attempted to lighten the mood with the appeal of tea and a story of old times, then the few who followed her grandfather, and so on and so on until she was left standing before the shrine with her only company a strange red headed boy not much older than her. Even so that boy too left when the woman who followed her mother appeared, looking a mix of angry yet sad, and pulled her son away from her and the shrine all together leaving her now alone with no one near._

_Even her umbrella abandoned her when a harsh wind blew it away._

_The pouring ice cold rain that pounded on her small form or the loneliness did not break her out of her trance though as she just kept continuing to stare through her wet bangs as the rain turned her beautiful now mid back black hair into damp stringy pieces. Her fine black dress clung to her body as did her jacket and her matching black shoes dirtied in the ever growing mud puddle she stood in the rain causing small drown drops to jump up and stick to her pale skin yet still she did not notice as she kept her staring at the vase holding her father. Even the sounds of her mother calling for her failed break her away from her actions as her ears just drowned out the pleas to come back inside. _

_Nothing stopped her from just standing there and it seemed nothing would as her lifeless eyes just looked onto the dampened wood of the small shrine before her. A shrine on a shrine normally the thought of such a thing would have made her giggle at the silliness yet she found no humor in this shrine. Only emotions such as pain and sadness were brought to her as she continued to gaze at her father through the small window of the wooden door one had to use to peer inside. The vase holding her father was a simple green and held none of her interest, despite the importance within, but the golden plate attached to it reading his name stuck out to her. __It was a name she replaced with "tou-san" but a name she would never need to replace with the words again._

_And it was that sudden realization that made her break._

_Tears she previously thought had been cried out already rushed into her eyes and down her pale cheeks and her hands quickly raised to fend them off with quick rubs that failed when her hands, like her body, began to shake. Her jaw once tight and tense with pain fell open as that pain was vocalized and with everything throwing itself at her all at once, she wobbled upon unsteady legs and fell into the mud under the weight of the life. She became the rain, wind, lightning, and thunder that played around with the sky all at once during that moment and although she should have remained as such an event that happened very rarely during storms such as that graced the little girl._

_Black as the shadow that the sun brought to the world along with its life he had stood before her the rain touching him yet not wetting him, keeping him as dry as a summer day as slowly, hesitantly, he reached out and set a palm upon her lowered head. The reaction was instant and while her sobs still shook her and her eyes still cried the girl slowly peeked up. Eyes meeting with his own had her tense, as unclear as it was she still remembered her first interaction with him last year, but when the hand smoothed itself through her hair and that cold expression melted with warmth she relaxed._

'_**He's good.' **__A voice whispered not from her head but her heart and without the hesitation he showed to touch her, she flung herself at him and cried out her sorrow in his reluctant but tight embrace._

_The sun, despite the storm, had appeared._

**x.x.x**

On that day by showing himself to the one he attempted to keep his distance from Kuronue had unknowingly vowed to himself to do the opposite, to always stay near her so that such pain would never be dealt to her again. He became more than her protector that day: he became a friend. Someone there for her and only her and while Kagome, who believed in him with her all, held no objections to this there was one who was greatly concerned when after two years the name "Kuro-san" became common throughout her house. That person was the mother of Kagome but through reading and reasoning she came to the conclusion that the name belonging to her daughter's friend was just a way for Kagome to deal with her father's passing. She kept that conclusion for the next few years fully content in believing that it was perfectly normal for her daughter, now fourteen, to hold the company of a man only she could see.

'_It's just an imaginary friend.'_

And she told herself that every day.

**x.x.x**

**Okay, I'm pretty sure there are at least a handful of you thinking this so I'll just come out and say it now:**

"**Oh my gosh Kuronue's a pedo stalker out to steal Kagome's innocence"**

**Sad thing is…I think it's true! Don't tell him I said that, okay? I don't want to die!**

**That aside, thanks you all for reading this! I'm sorry for those who wanted more of Kagome's childhood added in, but I didn't feel like going through the years yet again with this story. One of my habits is dragging things out too long so I wanted to get the childhood done quickly so I could move into the romance. There will be flashes back into her past though so don't be disappointed!**

**One another note those of you waiting for the next chapter of "When You Think You Know a Man" it should be out soon (maybe tomorrow if my coffee high doesn't die down) and here is a little spoil: Kuronue and Kagome finally interact!**

**Please take the time to review!**

**Kagomes Kit**


	4. Chapter 4

**My Not So Imaginary Friend**

**For as long as she could remember he had always been by her side. He had been her best friend, although only she could ever see him. It was odd but then again, that was the point of imaginary friends. Only Kuronue isn't as imaginary as she thought and neither are his feelings**

**Disclaimer: Neither Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hawkish are owned by me. I am simply using the animes and their characters for the enjoyment and entertainment of my readers.**

**Chapter Four**

_Everything is dark. Though the sun shines up high in the sky shadows slowly start to take over the land covering every inch of the earth as large black clouds creep to cover up the burning sun. Wind rushes across all land and seas giving birth to violent waves and storms of whipping leaf from trees, bushes, and other angry greens. As the last cloud takes its place in the dark sky thunder suddenly sounds and lightening begins to flash._

_Birds and other animals in a panic rush around trying their best to escape the unexpected weather yet it is of no use as rain begins to pour from the havens. The sounds of hail hitting the ground along with the ice cold rain is heard all around but through this harsh volume of nose, the sound chains clinking together can still be clearly heard. Chains belonging to those caught as slaves._

_Forced to walk through the harsh weather, hundreds, no, thousands of humans continue on in weak and painful misery. Their heads are forced down and their hands are chained together by heavy metal ropes while their feet pound on the muddy floors as they go on, tears running from their eyes as they did their best to not give in to their thoughts of just giving up. _

_They had to keep going, the thought runs through every human's head, they had to keep moving to save their lives but still even as they forced themselves to keep walking they knew it was pointless. Either way they would end up dead. If not from having been forced to walk for two days without food or water for many miles then they would die from being over worked as slaves. _

_That was their fate, death, and nothing would be able to change that when there was nothing to hope for. _

_From their places on horses or on their feet with weapons in hands ghostly creatures named demons stood with twisted grins on their faces as they watched the humans suffer. After so many years of having been forced to live along side these week beings they finally got their chance to rule the earth as they were destine to. They were now the rulers and with that title they could finally do as they pleased to the humans without fear of being killed off by silly demon slayers or mikos. It may have taken many years but evil had finally won. Evil had finally been able to squash down all things good and it was all because of the one they now called king. _

_Some looked off to the mountains with pride on their faces as they silently praised the one who had given them what they wanted. Standing on that mountain was a figure covered by shadows the only things visible from the dark lord being his evil smirk as he rolled a small jewel in his hand. __One __that had once been a beautiful bright pink shinning with purity but was now a hideous black filled darkness._ _A single jewel_ _t__hat had been ripped from the hands of good and used for evil, all because the one to protect that small jewel had failed_

_All because __**she **__had failed._

_Being too weak to protect the powerful item she had allowed the jewel to be brought into the hands of darkness, evil. She condemned all innocents to darkness and with it- light, hope, and faith. She had failed in her task. Failed herself, her friends, those who depended on her, those who __**needed**__ her. She had failed them all._

_And because of her failure, the world was lost._

_Humanity was nothing but another word for slave and she, with her power useless and her allies gone, was now one of them. Stripped of all respect and of her pride she was kneeling at the dark lord's-the Dark King's- side. Her body, pale and dirty with filth, bruises, and blood, was broken and dressed in a fine kimono while her eyes, empty and without the will to live, stared down at the suffering below blankly. Seeing the torture caused by her weakness but at the same time seeing nothing at all._

"_**Beautiful isn't it, My Doll?" **__Her King questioned her with a chuckle that chilled her shattered soul. __**"All this suffering shaped by my will yet created by your hands. Isn't it just wonderful?"**_

_The insane laughter that followed her King's words haunted her into silence but when his hand tangled in her hair and gave a harsh warning pull she quietly whimpered, much to his pleasure, and gave a slight nod. __**"Very wonderful…" **__she whispered, lying brokenly around a forming sob._

_Her hair was pulled again until she found herself standing, her head tilted back at a painfully odd angle while her eyes stared up into a gleaming red gaze. __**"And I have you to thank." **__Her King breathed, teasingly and cold, before he crushed his lips on her own. His taste was poison and his arousal murder but she made no move to fight him, she would only fail, and simply stood still, tears running like blood from her eyes. It was not until hands began pulling at her clothing that sense came to her and with a scream she pushed away. Her King, no not her king, he was a monster, made no move to pull her back and watched gleefully as she stumbled back away from him, amusement shinning in his eyes when she stumbled too far and fell off from the high cliff they stood on._

_Down and down she went, falling further and further until her body hit the floor with a sickening sound that should have killed her but did not. No joy came from her survival though as she shakily moved herself onto her hands and knees. The suffering, the monster, the storm…it was all gone and finally standing she found herself in darkness. Deep darkness that suffocated her._

_She was scared._

"_**Inuyasha…?" **__the name was both a stranger yet friend and rolled oddly yet easily off her tongue. __**"Inuyasha? Shippo? Sango? Miroku?" **__Names new yet old sprouted from her mouth like plea to the gods. __**"Kirara? Kouga? Lord Sesshomaru?"**__ When no answer came she found herself shaking and in a last chance at comfort, at a savior coming to aid her she whispered out __**"Kuronue…" **__and was rewarded with a blinding light._

_Feeling relief she opened her eyes, wondering when they had closed, and the beginning of a smile appeared upon her lips. __**"Guys…" **__she began but could not finished. Eyes growing wide and another scream tearing from her throat she backed away from the horrible sight before her. Blood, skin and meat torn from bones, fur, bodies… pieces of clothing and tuffs of hair… it was everywhere. Her __**friends **__were everywhere. As body parts…as __**pieces**__. _

_Hands flew to cover her mouth but she ripped them away when copper touched her tongue and in horror found the reason to be that they were covered in crimson. Covered in blood. When this happened, she wasn't sure, but some unwanted knowledge told her that this blood was the same littering the floor before her. The same blood that came from her companions bodies…._

_Their blood was on her hands._

_Their deaths on her shoulders._

"_**O-Oh god..." **__Cowering, she hunched over and clenched her eyes shut. This wasn't happening…. This wasn't happening…. This wasn't happening…._

"_**Not yet, but it will." **__Gentle hands touched her cheeks and forced her head to rise so that teary blue met warm, yet stern, brown. __**"If you fail then all hope will be lost, Kagome. Humanity will fade as evil rules with bloodshed and death. You can prevent this though. You MUST prevent this."**_

"_**How…?" **__She heard herself whisper brokenly._

"_**Protect the jewel, Kagome. This hell you've seen is a warning of what could be should you fail. Protect the jewel. Train, gain as any allies as you can, do anything you can to ensure the safety of the jewel and with it: humans and demons alike. The gods and I put our faith in your hands. Serve us and the world well...Shikon no Miko."**_

**x.x.x**

Twitching slightly as he watched his eldest grandchild sleep on, at the table no less, the grandfather of the Higurashi family cleared his throat and crossed his arms. "Kagome! Show some respect why don't you?"

Giving a start and pulling her head from the table Kagome blinked and tried to focus on the blurry figure of her grandfather. "What…?" she mumbled through a yawn.

"Teenagers these days! No respect for their elders or care for the classic things in life! Did you sleep through my whole story?!"

Smiling sheepishly Kagome her hand as if fanning away the rant she knew was approaching. "Of course not, gramps. I heard you…um, you were saying something about the Shican no…something?" she finished lamely.

"The Shikon no Tama, Kagome! Shikon no Tama!"

'_Shikon no Miko.' _

Wincing and gripping her head, Kagome moaned quietly in pain as a searing headache tore through her. _Chains…slaves…blood…bodies…failure…failure…failure …FAILURE! _Shaking a bit she slumped forward and closed her eyes tightly. Dinner was swirling in her stomach horribly and gagging slightly she slapped a hand over her mouth. By then her grandfather was up and long gone but she didn't even notice. _Dark King…evil King…red eyes…darkness…all because of her…all her fault…. _Her grandfather reappeared but this time her mother came with and both carefully helped her to her room.

By the time her headache ended and everything stilled she found herself lying in bed, dressed in sleep clothes with the bitter taste of medicine on her tongue. Horrible emotions that crept up on her magically disappeared and she was left confused, she couldn't seem to remember what had come over her, and feeling very uneasy she closed her eyes and rolled over…

…right into Kuronue's protective embrace.

His arms, cold to the touch, wrapped around her better than any blanket and pulled her into his chest. One hand went to her back and rubbed away the bubbling nervousness while the other just kept her latched close to his body. His chin touched the top of her head lightly as she buried her face in his neck, melting in the comfort only he could ever give.

"Kuronue…" she breathed having moved pass her childish name for him long ago.

"Kagome…" he purred back though the worry lacing his words was as clear as ever. "What was that down there…?"

"I…I don't know. I just…kind of lost it…guess I didn't get enough sleep."

"Nightmares again?"

"Yeah," she admitted softly, eyes fluttering close when the hand rubbing her back slid to her hair to allow claw-like nails to fiddle with the strands.

"Still can't remember what of?"

"No… I know it's the same nightmare though. I've only had them these last few nights…but the feeling after is the same… I feel scared…disappointed and angry…and…" releasing a shaky breath she clutched onto his top, her fingers brushing against his chest. "God, Kuronue…I just feel so horrible after that dream…I don't know but…its terrifying."

"It's just a dream, Kagome. They can scare you but they can't hurt you." Bullshit. He had enough experience with dream eating demons to know that dreams COULD in fact hurt you, but she didn't need to know that. Pulling back so they could see each other clearly he grinned at her and purred. "The only thing you have to worry about while you're in bed is me."

The desired outcome appeared in the form of a pretty little blush and a sharp whack to the head. "Pervert."

"And proud."

Rolling her eyes at the truth of those words Kagome shook her head and rolled over, moving as far away from him as possible without falling off the bed. "Goodnight, hentai."

A few minutes later when she was seconds away from slipping away into her dreams, she felt his arms wrap around her again and his deep, calming voice whisper into her ear. "Goodnight, tenshi."

She slept peacefully that entire night.

**x.x.x**

The next morning was filled with soft curses and quick goodbyes as Kagome ran around hurrying to get ready for school. She managed a wave to her grandfather and a kiss on her mother's cheek before slipping on her shoes and running out. Making her way down the courtyard of the shrine (if that's what you call it) and running to the stairs, she paused when spotting Souta. Slidding to a stop and tilting her head curiously at him she made her way over. "Hey what are you...?" Ignoring her brother's "Nothing" she eyed the shrine he was standing before and frowned. There was something…off about it. "You're not supposed to be playing there."

"I'm not," Souta argued turning in the open door. "It's the cat."

"Did he go down to the well?"

Walking into the shrine with her brother and peering down the steps that lead to an old looking well Kagome inwardly sighed while Souta drew out Buyou's name, trying to see if that would bring their over-sized but loved cat out. No such luck and with her eyes still locked on the well Kagome crouched down, Souta doing the same. She edged him to go down and look for their cat her reasoning of "You're the one looking for him" covering up the nerves building in her stomach. In a habit she reached up and placed her head over the front of her shirt where her pendant was hidden under. Kuronue was the one who told her it was better to keep the pendant hidden, although she didn't know why. Still though it didn't matter to her if it was seen or not. The pendant always brought her comfort and pressing it closer to her chest she smiled when some of her nerves faded.

A little confidence grown she stood and made her way down. She was left feeling a little foolish when she jumped as Buyou popped out and twitched when her equally scared little brother began teasing her for it. Wasn't HE the one too afraid to go down in the first place? Sharing that very thought she glared at him but inwardly smiled always enjoying how her and her brother would end up in these little arguments.

Any humor she was enjoying though ended when the wood over the well shattered. Eyes widening and limp hands freeing her cat she froze when something, something bad, wrapped around her and pulled her back into the well. She was still as it happened but unknown to her the panic running through her head and her sudden burst of fear caused a reactive glow in her pendant. Just as she was a good meter away from the well's opening, Kuronue appeared.

His face was a mask a mask of calm yet with her eyes locked on his she could see the panic and surprise in his gaze. His hand reached out to her and she did the same to him, their fingers just barely brushing. That small contact wasn't enough though and with a shout of her name Kuronue threw himself into the well. The fall was an endless to them but in reality…with a small flash they were gone.

And Souta, poor Souta, who had stood frozen as he watched his sister be pulled into the well by_ something _then as a winged _monster _appeared _out of nowhere _only to jump in after her, was froze. His eyes stared in widened shock and finally, once his mind caught up to him, he stumbled back…

And _**screamed.**_

Minutes later he stood in front of the well still horror-stricken while his grandfather began his normal antics, this time with good reason, and his mother wept. None of them knew how to wrap their heads around what happened. All that they knew was that somehow Kagome was gone…

And for the next three days they were left to think that she was possibly _**dead **_too.

**x.x.x**

**Well, there you all have it! The latest chapter to the story! Sorry for the wait and the kind of uneventfulness in this but it had to be done…and god writer's block is a horrible, horrible monster that deserves a hot and fiery death. Anyways I hope you all enjoyed this and I'll do my best to update sooner next time**

**Thank you for your time and please take a moment to review.**

**Also: for those who are looking forward to another chapter of When You Think You Know a Man I'm working on it now. I'm a little stuck though so I'm not sure when it'll appear.**

**Kagomes Kit**


	5. Chapter 5

**My Not So Imaginary Friend**

**For as long as she could remember he had always been by her side. He had been her best friend, although only she could ever see him. It was odd but then again, that was the point of imaginary friends. Only Kuronue isn't as imaginary as she thought and neither are his feelings**

**Disclaimer: Neither Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hawkish are owned by me. I am simply using the animes and their characters for the enjoyment and entertainment of my readers.**

**Chapter Five**

Kuronue was no idiot. Although he knew that Kagome was special and the fact that there was more to her than adorable smiles and shinning blue eyes did not escape him. Her somehow managing to pull his soul from his pendant and into the real world was enough proof to back that statement but Kagome was a _miko_. And not just any miko but the one now chosen to protect the Shikon no Tama, a jewel lusted after by most in Japan.

Her powers had been locked inside her until that _bitch _of a demoness dragged her down into the well but Kuronue was sure that it had been those very powers that broke what held him within in pendant. Whether it was a reaction to his demonic soul within the pendant or the threat he had been to her at the time, Kuronue didn't know, but what was odd about her freeing him was that she _shouldn't _have freed him at all.

His soul should have been purified until he was completely erased from all three worlds, but instead it wasn't.

In fact, focusing on his time spent around Kagome it became painfully obvious that instead of reacting negatively to her hidden power, Kuronue _fed _off of it. Not in such a way that it was slowly draining her to her death, but to the point that his contact with Kagome _increased _his presence.

As a spirit no one, no one _normal _that is, could view him. He was not seen, heard, or touched, but with _Kagome_ that changed. She could _feel _him, hear him, and speak with him and while others still could not see him standing in front of them, hear him when he spoke, or feel him should he have slapped them, Kuronue knew from experience that whenever he was touching Kagome or had her near that, if he willed it, he could _hold _a brush and run it through her hair. He could _grip _a blanket and cover her and he could _throw _a book when a boy leaned in just a _little too close_.

All of that and more should have been impossible for a spirit but it wasn't…

Now was not the time to be thinking.

Watching helplessly as Kagome was suddenly bound to the _puppy _by the returning demoness; Kuronue snarled and pushed the thoughts away.

Foolishly though, Kuronue upon realizing everything thing he did not take the time to think about what that meant. What it **could** mean. If he did he would have learned just **why** he hadn't been removed from existence, but instead seemed to grow slightly stronger, because he _was _indeed growing stronger.

Only far more than he expected he was.

Kaede was the first to noticed him

* * *

The oddities that surrounded the strange girl named Kagome were clear, although that strangeness she held wasn't easily passable to be fair. Aside from Kagome's resemblance to the long passed Kikyou, the girl dressed, spoke, and acted like none any of them had ever come across. She was kind and polite, showing Kaede respect, yet the respect was dulled in a sense. Not to the point where it was an offence to the aged woman but more on the means that it was more informal than most normally shown her, stranger or not. Despite the robes marking Kaede as a miko the girl, Kagome, treated her as if she had known the elder for years.

It was slightly insulting and more than a little careless; to mock a village's leader was to mock the village itself, but it was also refreshing. This girl, who talked with naïve friendliness and smiled at the villagers with innocence in her gaze, was, oddly, untouched by the war that painted their lands. She was like the rain that washed away the blood of battles and even had she not looked so much like Kikyou, Kaede still would have taken the girl in that first day they met when she was trapped and bound by the people. But the girl was still strange.

Maybe it was unfair to think such a thing about the girl, but think Kaede did. And the more she thought, the more she watched and observed, the more she saw that perhaps Kagome wasn't strange but _special. _As untrained as she was the girl was found to be a miko, was seen to hold the Shikon no Tama _in her body_, was gifted with a strong sense and sight, and managed to, with Kaede's help, bind the brash Inuyasha to her. All of which happened in the span of a few hours.

Then the very next day the girl shows enough strength to swim against their waters, the heart to save a child over a jewel many killed for, and the brains to shoot what was clearly her first ever target with a foot-strapped arrow so that it was _sure _to hit. Oh and how it hit. The beautifully horrifying way the sky lit with the priceless shards of the jewel was clear within the memories of many, but what all those witnesses didn't seem to notice was the fact that a jewel that was _unbreakable _had been _broken _by a mere arrow and a girl.

Kagome was _special_, indeed, but honestly, it was not the clothing, the looks, the actions, the powers, the jewel, or her forced companionship with Inuyasha that made her such.

What made her special was how just when the sky lighted as Kagome's arrow met the jewel, how for a moment, just a moment, the figure of a tall and dark demonic man dressed with the wings of a monster appeared behind her. No one else seemed to notice, all their focus on the sky, but Kaede did and somehow the mysterious demon knew, for when he did appear he stood with his arms around Kagome and his eyes gazing down at her.

Those very eyes which could have been beautiful, shown a poison violet in Kaede's mind spoke of danger. Not because his gaze on the newly found miko was dark but because it swam with an emotion directed at Kagome yet seen clearly by Kaede. The emotion, so raw and powerful at the time, even with her quick glance, was _strange yet special_. It was prideful, it was caring, it was possessive…it was _love_.

And just as quickly as he was there, the demon was gone.

His memory was not though. No matter how much she tried Kaede was stuck with the brief appearance of the demon in her mind and the unwanted removal of blindness that followed.

Yes, it was rather ignorant of Kaede to want to remain naïve. She was the one who was supposed to be well informed about life. The one who was suppose to hold understanding in her hands so that she could guide, but as said earlier Kagome was refreshing to have around. The girl, the one who was like the rain that washed the blood of battle away, was a fresh breeze. Kind, sweet, and innocent to some point…untouched by evil it seemed. She was someone who would be idolized and loved. Someone that their world needed to hold onto was a figure of hope.

So that's why upon the night of the girl shattering the jewel, Kaede found it hard to ignore the glanced behind and to her sides, the hushed whispers to the air, and the smiles to the wall. How she hadn't noticed the first night was unclear, but now that she _did _notice, there was no going back.

It was far too impossible to look away and pretend that this innocent girl was as untouched by darkness as she would have liked to believe.

Of course Kagome wasn't evil, nor were her powers any less pure, but it was still unsettling. Her heart and mind were far more open to those not of human blood than others in this time, but Kaede was still a human of war. She was still mortal.

And she still feared.

Kagome was special, terrifyingly so, and Kikyou had been the same. Kikyou, who Kagome resembled, had been a miko and had been gifted with the jewel yet Kaede only hoped the similarities stopped there, for the last time she saw one of demon blood view a miko with those glaringly possessive yet loving eyes…it resulted in her only sister's death.

Being special wasn't a good thing. At least not in these times.

* * *

Surprisingly, or not, Sesshomaru was the next to notice. Not Inuyasha.

His focus was completely on his half brother and the treasure hidden within his eye, but that did not stop him from noticing the miko. Not truly the miko so much as what was around her. It had been faint at the time but the faded demonic presence wrapped around her was as clear as day but he had ignored it. His business was with the whelp, not his bitch.

A dangerous curiosity formed and was slightly harder to ignore when upon entering his father's tomb that the presence, when surrounded by death, spiked dramatically.

Even Inuyasha had flinched at the sudden rise in strength but unlike him the half breed couldn't _see _the reason for the spike. His eyes were blind to everything but defeating Sesshomaru who, even with most of his focus on what he first came for, was now able to see the owner of that _power_.

It nearly rivaled his own.

Nearly. Even so, Sesshomaru was interested yet any interest was discarded the moment the demon protected the human woman from his attack.

Sesshomaru was no fool to believe it was merely the sword that saved her life.

"What are you?"

His demanded question had been answered with a smirk yet as it was already stated, he lost interest in the demon and cared not for an answer.

He simply wanted the sword.

Again, Inuyasha was not the next to notice Kuronue. Instead he was beaten by a child: Shippo.

* * *

Unlike Sesshomaru, Shippo didn't notice upon his first meeting with Kagome but he did immediately find himself attached to Kagome and it was that, that allowed him to noticed Kuronue. It began the first time he bathed with the miko, who had stripped him of all his clothing first before doing the same. Only while she left him with only the tail above his bottom and the fur on his feet, Kagome kept her pendant around her neck.

It was a pretty thing and Shippo through all his splashing and squirming when Kagome started to wash him with her funny soaps, kept his eyes on the piece of jewelry. Kagome allowed him to fiddle and play with it, but never pulled it off when he did so.

To this day the pendant was the only thing Kagome ever refused to give him.

And Shippo was okay with that. Kagome showered him with attention and love. She hugged him, spoiled him at times, protected him…she became his mother so it didn't matter if she wouldn't give him a simple pendant, but her refusal did leave him with questions.

So like the curious little kit he was, Shippo took to throwing every one of those questions at Kagome, who only laughed and answered them normally.

"My father gave me it."

Shippo understood the sadness in her eyes all too well.

"No, I haven't really ever taken it off."

She seemed surprised at admitting that, as if she hadn't realized it until that moment.

"It is very pretty, isn't it?"

The way she touched the pendant and looked at it was…strange. Shippo didn't know the word for it, but the look and action was…soft? Gentle?

"_What?!"_

Okay, maybe asking if 'Father' was code for 'Mate' wasn't the best idea. He wasn't sure if people should be able to turn _that _red.

His questions went on though and for every one asked Kagome gave an answer back. None of them really gave Shippo any good clues, until his last.

"My favorite color?" Kagome had repeated to herself and Shippo, nodding, watched curiously as she mulled it over. He had asked because Kagome's pendant was red and she liked while Inuyasha wore red and Shippo thought it seemed like she _really _liked him, so he wanted to know.

He was surprised when Kagome gave him a sly smile and winked.

"Violet. Violet is my favorite color."

Alarm bells went off in his with that statement, ringing louder and louder when Kagome's playful look wasn't shot at _him _but something behind him.

He remembered turning around in the water only to find no one there. Only when he turned to question Kagome he found her playful look gone and replaced with a horrified realization.

Kagome dressed faster than any demon could run that night.

Shippo himself dressed normally and was confused on to why she was acting like Inuyasha had peeked on her, but found his attention caught when she began mumbling to herself. It was quiet but clear and by time they reached the camp Shippo found himself left with the biggest question of all.

Who was Kuronue?

And why was he a pervert?

Something told him to keep the question to himself so he did, but that didn't mean that he was now any less aware. In fact learning that name helped him more than he thought it would because it was as if he was given a pass that allowed him into a secret club of sorts. When he woke from a silent nightmare and was too scared to wake Kagome he would just take comfort from knowing she was there, but more often than not he would enjoy the calming hand petting his head and stroking his hair.

Even when he knew Kagome had both arms around him and her hands were not free.

It was kind of creepy to be honest but at the same time not. Kagome was like his mother and Shippo couldn't help but think that maybe this 'Kuronue' or whoever it was, was a lot like a father.

The thought was nice.

* * *

Miroku, of course, was the next one in line.

His story is rather short.

It was no secret that Miroku was not the most innocent of monks. He enjoyed women, money, and drinks of more than one occasion. He stole, spied, cheated a few times, and had that damn wandering hand of his…but he was still one hell of a monk.

Just because he enjoyed being the carefree, humorous one didn't mean he wasn't constantly aware. He was always pushing his senses as far as they could go and was forever stuck on alert, even when others would guess otherwise. He had his downfalls here and there but those only helped his skills to grow.

He was smart, sometimes deadly or cunningly so, and could fight fairly well without the use of his wind tunnel, but his greatest skill was in detecting powerful auras. Demonic or not he could sense them from miles away. It wasn't the most impressive or rarest of skills, but it was damn useful.

That's why he was able to notice Kuronue. Whether or not she or anyone else knew, Miroku had noticed the demonic presence around her because, as faint as that presence was, its aura was…

He didn't know the word for it.

It wasn't strong but it was. Weak was no word for what he felt but if he had to pick a single word it would have to be…smothered? No…blended. The demon's aura was mixed with Kagome's own, yet somehow her purity was not affected. Kagome was not affected so Miroku made no move to attempt to remove the demonic presence, instead he observed it.

He couldn't see whatever the demon was and couldn't hear it if it ever spoke but he could watch with concealed curiosity as its aura blended with Kagome's more and more as time went on. It wasn't a dangerous mixing but Miroku knew it wasn't normal. Only demons and their mates would have their aura's mend like this, but Kagome was untouched. Pure.

He decided to study this in silence.

* * *

Funny enough…_Kirara _was after Miroku. Not both Sango and Kirara. Just her.

Her story was even shorter than Miroku's. Kirara's breed of demonic cats was known to have fought aside spiritual in tuned masters and mistresses long ago because they were sensitive to things most were unaware of. Generations passed and her kind's sensitivity was still high, so while Kirara _adored _Kagome…

She was often found hissing at the air around her. And Kagome had to bite her lip to keep from laughing when Kuronue hid behind her further and _glared_ back.

* * *

Finally, Inuyasha was thrown into the party. With him came Sango while Miroku and Shippo simply gained more clues to add to what they already knew.

By this time Sango had her own suspicions of Kagome. Like Shippo she noticed the pendant during their baths but her lack of questioning lead her down a path with no answers while her silent observations of the miko were good but ended with no clues or proof that the miko was hiding something.

Sango's biggest problem was that to her Kagome was her sister. The miko was family and shared with her all of her secrets and problems so Sango couldn't find any true evidence that she was keeping something because she _didn't want to_. Secretly she wanted to be trusted with the knowledge, so she was blind to any proof she needed.

Inuyasha was just blind.

One day he just pushed Kagome too much. The two bickered and fought often, if not every day, but there was a point where they had been walking just a bit too long and Kagome was just a bit too tired to want to deal with him. He was complaining about this or that, mostly the lack of shards, and when the insults and whining became too much, Kagome snapped.

She had frozen in place and was just staring down at the floor blankly with tired eyes. Her hands were clenched but Inuyasha failed to notice as he marched over and stood before her like a big bully on a playground. For the next few moments it was yelling on his part with silence on Kagome's until, out of nowhere, Kagome threw a fist out and forced it into Inuyasha's face.

Nothing made a single noise as everyone, minus Kagome, watched Inuyasha crumble to the ground with his eyes wide and his hand failing to keep the blood rushing from his now broken nose.

It took a lot to harm Inuyasha like that, let alone bring him to his knees, but Kagome either didn't know that or didn't care as she calmly walked on- her knuckles split open and her words jabbing into Inuyasha.

"I agree with _him_. You are an Idiot, Inuyasha."

No one dared to ask who this 'him' was, though Shippo's eyes were gleaming, but the fact remained: there _was _a 'him' which could mean many things. A 'him' could mean an ally, an enemy, a lover… 'Him' could mean anything. Could be _anyone_ and while it didn't give any real proof about Kuronue existing, it did show that Kagome had a secret.

If he was from this time they would have met him by now…

Did that mean he was from _Kagome's _time?

That thought alone was enough to set Inuyasha off. He may have not understood why he was so angry about the idea that there was a boy in the future that knew of him while he knew nothing about the boy in return, but that didn't stop him from becoming more forceful whenever Kagome returned home.

Sango on the other hand found herself paying even more attention to Kagome. She was forced to accept that there was secret kept from her and finally took in the clues only _she _could. It wasn't a perverse push that brought her to stare but her want for answers so it was during their baths together (with Shippo as well) that Sango took notice of the change to Kagome's body.

The miko hadn't been fat before but her body had no strength to it. Not to say that she was suddenly buffed out, that was far from the case, but now Kagome was leaner, her arms were stronger while her legs and stomach were toned…her body was built better for battle, resembling Sango's own built now rather than a pampered princess.

Was Kagome training herself? Sango thought back but couldn't remember the miko being alone much, only when she was angry or needed a calming walk.

Oh…

Now that the matter was brought to mind over the last few months Kagome _had _been getting mad at Inuyasha a lot more often while her walks slowly became longer and longer… Was it possible that during those times she was alone Kagome really was training herself? Yes. It was…but how? How was she training? Her aim with her bow and arrows was better but that was to be expected, time brought practice, and while Kagome was quicker her powers were still wild…it didn't match up.

If Kagome was training, then _what was she training? _Just her body? Kagome didn't have any knowledge on fighting and didn't have any weapon but her bow to perfect. It was possible that this 'him' was teaching her but…

Sango found herself with even _more _questions than before.

Just what was Kagome really hiding?

Everyone in the group had a piece to the puzzle. Kaede knew the format, she had seen Kuronue, Sesshomaru…was out of the question but Shippo had the puzzle's name and knew its feel, Miroku knew its aura therefore what it was, a demon, while Sango had seen physical proof that this puzzle had influence over their miko. On top of that Inuyasha had the piece that allowed him to travel where the others could not go and search for the answer himself but neither one of them really acted on what they had to work with. More than that none of them thought to share with the other what they knew.

Maybe no one was blind to the fact that Kagome had a secret, but they were unable to understand that the answers could have been found with the others help.

Kuronue just found it all funny.

* * *

**Sorry for the wait everyone. Breakups and writer's block is a bitch but I hope I did well enough to please you. Thank you all for the reviews you gave though!**

**Please do review again!**

**Kagomes Kit**


	6. Chapter 6

**My Not So Imaginary Friend**

**For as long as she could remember he had always been by her side. He had been her best friend, although only she could ever see him. It was odd but then again, that was the point of imaginary friends. Only Kuronue isn't as imaginary as she thought and neither are his feelings**

**Disclaimer: Neither Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hawkish are owned by me. I am simply using the animes and their characters for the enjoyment and entertainment of my readers.**

**Chapter Six**

* * *

More than a few simple months have come and gone since the group of shard hunters came together as allies and friends, in fact a year would be marked tomorrow, yet they still haven't solved the puzzle most of them were dying to know. He wasn't sure how much each person knew but Kuronue wasn't so ignorant as to believe that he would have been able to remain nothing more than a ghost during this quest. The world during this era wasn't as naïve to the 'supernatural' as the modern world of humans so despite their inabilities to interact with him, Kuronue had still be expecting for at least a few people to pick up clues on his trail.

Honestly he didn't give a damn if they knew about him or not so while, yes, it was he who instructed Kagome to keep quiet about his existence he was doing nothing extra to truly hide. He found it rather amusing to be honest, watching them grow frustrated when another month passed with them no closer to the truth, but his amusement was quickly transforming into concern.

Desperation sometimes followed frustration and when one, let alone many, wanted the answers they so badly sought unpleasant things followed. No, this did not mean they would suddenly beat his little miko until she bled the truth, but the chances of someone questioning Kagome were growing more and more each day.

He could see their curious gazes lingering on her longer and wasn't deaf to the lightly probing questions beginning to mix into their conversations. Plotting never escaped him when it happened under his own nose so Kuronue knew that one of them, most likely Miroku if he presumed correctly, would strike soon.

Of course as he already stated, Kuronue didn't care who or what knew of him, so that was not why the thought of them getting to Kagome was worrying him so much. Kagome trusted Kuronue's word and still wouldn't give anything away; purposely that is, until he told her it was okay, but if her friend's begin questioning Kuronue was worried that Kagome might then begin questioning herself.

During her entire childhood Kagome had been told over and over again that Kuronue was nothing more than an imaginary friend. At first she argued over the truth behind that statement with every fiber of her being but Kuronue never really confirmed or denied this whenever asked. His answers were always sly and vague, hinting at the possibility that he was something more but never giving enough to prove that he wasn't. Overtime though when they both began noticing the odd gazes from others and the worried look in Kagome's mother's eyes, they decided it best for Kagome not to speak verbally to him unless alone. Kagome did just that and when her mother made a comment a few weeks later about being proud over her accomplishment of moving on from her imaginary friend, Kagome said nothing.

After that Kagome just seemed to accept the fact that imaginary or not, Kuronue was there and would be for a very long time. Clearly Kuronue had no plans of leaving while Kagome had no plans of letting him go, but that still left Kuronue in the dark about what Kagome believed him to be now so if she began questioning herself, questioning _him_, Kuronue wasn't sure where it would lead.

"Kuronue?"

"Yes, tenshi?" He replied absently, stuck on auto-Kagome as he continued with his thoughts. Would Kagome realize he was dead?

"Are you okay?"

"Of course." Would she fear him if she did?

"Honestly?"

"Yeah." If not fear then hate? He was technically lying to her…

"Truly?"

"Uh-huh." Then again she never asked if he was a spirit in the first place.

"Kuronue?"

"Hm?" Kagome might not see it that way though.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have a nice ass for a man?"

"Yes, tenshi." She might see it as a betrayal…wait…

_What?!_

Slightly horrified to feel his face burst out into various shades of red but more than shocked to care, Kuronue quickly snapped his thoughtfully closed eyes open and, with as much grace he could pull off when flushing like a virgin, _gaped _at Kagome.

Although since the group returned to Kaede's just yesterday for a much needed break, Kagome had been able to return home and was now in her room. Souta was out with her mother picking up some more supplies for Kagome while her grandfather was…somewhere (she would look for him if she knew it wouldn't lead to story time), so she was free to speak to Kuronue as she wished.

Only with Kuronue still looking like a magicarp she barely managed to open her mouth before bursting out into laughter.

"O-Oh…oh god, Kuronue….y-your face!" Clutching her stomach she closed her eyes in an attempt to calm herself down, but by doing so completely missed the flash of annoyance from being laughed at in Kuronue's eyes and the _deadly _mischievous look that followed. "I…I didn't know you could make- _KURONUE!"_

"Screaming my name already, darling?" Kuronue purred, spreading his fingers on Kagome's bottom and squeezing teasingly.

Maybe he should invest in a cursed hand as well.

Any words she could have spoken died off into a squeak as Kagome slapped Kuronue's hand off of her body. Revenge, being the bitch it was, brought a flush that far surpassed Kuronue's previous one to her cheeks and for a moment Kagome did nothing but hide her face and splutter. Feeling Kuronue press an over exaggerated kiss to her cheek only increased the blood flow to her head and in a Sango-like move, Kagome threw her hand out for a slap. "You pervert!"

Grabbing Kagome's hand with his own right before it hit Kuronue smirked placed a lighter kiss than the one earlier to her cheek onto her palm. "You started it, tenshi."

"I was only trying to get your attention!"

Pulling her smaller body close against him and ignoring her struggling, Kuronue gently blew into her ear and chuckled. "I'll give you all the _attention _you want."

"Not _that _kind!"

"What kind?"

"The kind you're thinking of!"

"Oh? And what kind is _that_ Ka-go-me?"

"The kind all boys think of!"

Huffing and giving a little bonk to her head with his fist Kuronue playfully scowled. "I'm hardly a boy, tenshi."

Gasping dramatically, Kagome tilted her head and widened her eyes. "You mean," she began in an overly shocked whisper. "You're a _woman_?"

Narrowing his eyes and throwing her off of him, carefully that is, Kuronue stood and schooled his face into an emotionless mask. The giggling Kagome had begun stopped at the action and she looked to him with a confused, slightly worried, expression. "Kuronue?"

"A woman you say?" He hissed out dangerously. Kagome gulped, sensing her doom, but nodded anyways.

"You _do _have awfully long hair for a man." Her wary eyes focused on his own as she slowly straightened herself on her bed. "Have you ever worn a kimono? You'd look lovely in one, I'm sure of it."

"Kagome?"

"Yes, Ma'am?"

"Run."

Catching the shift in Kuronue's stance just as he said that, Kagome gasped and shot off her bed and out of her room. Counting to ten in his head Kuronue smirked before flashing out of the room after her. It took half the time that he spent counting to appear before her and Kagome was only able to squeal before his arms caught her in an embrace and he began spinning her around.

"Kuronue, please!" Kagome laughed. "I'm getting dizzy! Let me go!"

"Never!"

"Please!"

"What was that?" Picking up speed to swing her around faster Kuronue grinned. "I'm afraid I can't hear you!"

"Please, Kuro! Let me go!"

Blinking, Kuronue stopped and gently set her down. "Kuro?" he repeated softly. "It's been a while since you've used that version of my name."

Doing her best to fight against her spinning world, Kagome tilted her head and gave a thoughtful hum. "It has been hasn't it?"

"Just curious but, why did you stop using it anyways? It was always 'Kuro-san' back then. What happened?" Personally he didn't mind the change. Although Kuro-san had been cute from the little girl Kagome he much preferred the teenage one calling him by his full name.

Shrugging Kagome threw a quick glance around the living room, where she and Kuronue ended in their short game of cat and mouse, to see if anyone was around before taking a seat on the sofa. "I'm not sure…" Smiling when Kuronue took a seat at her side she continued. "I guess it just made sense to change the way I called you. Mama said that things like toys and imaginary friends were for children so I just figured that Kuro-san was more of a child's name as well so I should stop."

Imaginary friends… "I don't think that excuse works, tenshi. You continue talking to me, don't you? Yet you're not a child."

He watched her face closely for a reaction. Although he hadn't outright stated that he was an imaginary friend, it was clearly being hinted at.

"It would be rude to suddenly stop talking to you, don't you think?"

"And why is that?"

Turning so that she could face him better Kagome frowned. "Just because others can't see you doesn't mean its okay to ignore you."

"Ah, but I'm just the 'Imaginary Friend' here. That means it's odd to not ignore me."

Staring at him openly for a moment, Kagome deepened her frown before a little knowing smile suddenly tilted her lips upward. "Now whoever said you were Imaginary, Kuronue?"

* * *

"Mom? Since we're getting all this stuff for Kagome, is it okay if I pick out a snack or something for me?"

Pretending to think over it for a while Mama Higurashi glanced at her son's hopeful expression before smiling and nodding. "As long as it isn't too much then I don't see any harm in it."

"Yes! Thanks mom!" Souta cheered before sprinting off in search for whatever would meet his taste.

Mama Higurashi watched him go off with a smile before she returned to her own shopping. Pushing the cart further down she mentally went over her list. It seemed like she had everything she needed so all she had to do was wait for Souta to come back before paying. Until then she decided to look around for anything extra that might be useful for Kagome or her friends, yet just as she was about to turn the corner a hesitant voice softly called out.

"Kun-loon?"

Freezing where she stood Mama Higurashi, or Kun-loon if you prefer, stopped breathing for a moment before she turned around, her smile strained and just a bit bitter. She didn't need to see the woman that called out to her to know who it was but when she found herself face to face any hopeful doubt was washed away.

"Shiori."

The woman gave a slight smile in return before bowing a bit. "It's good to see you again, Kun-loon."

"Please," she murmured with a bow of her own. "Call me Higurashi-san."

Although it was unlike her to say such a thing to anyone in such a stern clipped tone, Kun-loon didn't worry over it much. She did however feel a shot of guilt when the woman flinched but before she could decide whether or not to throw in a 'Just Kidding' someone a voice out of Kun-loon's view called out.

"Mother?"

"Oh, Shuichi!" the woman beamed, waving 'Shuichi' over to her. "This is Kun-ah, this is Higurashi-san. You've met her once when you were younger so come say hello!"

Whether the young man, for the voice was clearly male, nodded or not was unknown to Kun-loon but when he stepped out and into her view, she felt her very heart stop beating within her chest.

Shuichi was a very handsome looking young man with beautiful long locks of flaming red and dazzling green eyes that stared at her coldly despite the pleasant smile on his lips. He looked odd for a Japanese born teenager but it was those odd looks that caused such a reaction within her. Not because he was painfully beautiful but because his looks were unmistakable this was proven when the picture of an identical child from long ago flashed through her mind.

"Mom?"

Jumping slightly when Souta suddenly joined their little trio, Kun-loon cleared her throat and slipped her hand onto his shoulder. He threw back a confused look but she simply smiled and looked back to Shiori and…Shuichi.

"Let me introduce myself, Shuichi-kun. Like Shiori said I'm Kun-loon and this," she pulled Souta closer. "Is my youngest child and son. Souta."

Smiling and nodding Shuichi bowed and gave a polite "Pleased to meet you" whereas Souta simply nodded and smiled awkwardly. The air around the four was tense and odd though only the two women truly understood why.

"Well…It was lovely seeing you again but Souta and I must be going." Turning around to do just that Kun-loon was about to make her escape when a hand grabbed onto her coat.

"Higuarsahi-san, wait!"

There was no way to get out of this.

"Souta," she sighed. "Why don't you and Shuichi-kun go to the gaming store next door?"

"What? What about the shopping?"

"Souta…go."

Before he could protest Shuichi, who was watching the possibly dangerous women with his mother carefully, kindly took his arm and dragged him away as nicely as possible. Both women watched their children go before turning to each other seriously, one with a harsh expression and the other with sorrowful eyes.

"Kun-loon…Higurashi-san I mean, I-"

"Why are you here Shiori?" Kun-loon cut in sharply, her eyes suddenly tired and weary. "We had a deal. I allowed you to attend my _husbands_," she put as much claim into the word as possible "funeral in exchange for you to stay away."

"I know, it's just-"

"Nothing. Just nothing. We made a deal so follow it through and leave both my family and I alone."

"Kun-loon please!" Shiori called out but she made no move to answer as she began calmly walking away with her cart. "Kun-loon!"

"Goodbye, Shiori."

Eyes tearing before clenching closed tightly; Shiori pulled both hands into tight fist at her sides and shouted her last attempt to get the woman to stop. _"I have a right to see my own daughter!"_

* * *

**And that my lovelies is where I shall leave you all! Muwahaha! **

**Sorry that it isn't as long as the previous chapter but we did find out that Kagome knows a little more about Kuronue than he might think but not just that, Kun-loon has a secret of her own?! And for those who might think that the whole second half of this chapter is random as hell…it isn't. Kun-loon's secret will be playing a nice sized part in this story!**

**Thank you all for the kind reviews and please do review once more!**

**Kagomes Kit**


	7. Chapter 7

**My Not So Imaginary Friend**

**For as long as she could remember he had always been by her side. He had been her best friend, although only she could ever see him. It was odd but then again, that was the point of imaginary friends. Only Kuronue isn't as imaginary as she thought and neither are his feelings**

**Disclaimer: Neither Inuyasha or Yu Yu Hakusho are owned by me. I am simply using the animes and their characters for the enjoyment and entertainment of my readers.**

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

Kun-loon had not seen or spoken to her family in many, many years. It wasn't that she didn't love them, she always held family close to her heart, but because her choices had apparently _shamed _them to the point of unreachable forgiveness. Her father came from a strict family and after receiving only the best grades and honors in school went off to be a high level business man who later married a beautiful but stern woman born into a rich family. Together her father and the woman, her mother, had three children. Two boys and one girl, her, that were expected to do great things from the moment they first walked.

As a little girl Kun-loon was told to study in replace of play while any free time she had was taken up by lessons for the piano and flute, both which she greatly disliked, or longs lectures of manners and perfect everything being shoved down her ears and mouth until she all but _breathed_ grace.

She never really minded though. Her father was a hard person to please, her mother too, so when she was praised by them the warmth of joy and burn of victory helped to soothe the ache that the longing to do other things left behind. Kun-loon didn't care if she had to give up her freedom of choice if it meant she pleased her family. Their wishes and rule were followed out obediently.

That is, until she fell in love.

It didn't happen until she was nineteen, nearly twenty, but when it did it had to have been during the worst possible time. She was dressed up well in clothing more on the traditional side while sitting at her father's side and across from the man who was to be her husband. She knew nothing about him but she had been engaged to him since birth apparently and was there to meet him for the first time. What his name was? Kun-loon honestly couldn't remember it, but the guy had been so hopelessly boring that she nearly had no choice but to float away from him mentally if she wanted to keep her sanity.

She kept a smile on her face as she did so, but her eyes had been over his head where they could gaze at the entrance to the restaurant where more interesting people might enter through. She wasn't sure how long she was staring at that entrance but the distinct feel of time itself stopping as clear as day when _he _came running in.

Hiro Higurashi, the love of her life.

And, at the time, the most foolish man she had ever seen.

Hiro did not walk or run, but instead he stumbled and tripped with every clumsy movement made. He was taller than most men of Japan with an oddly stronger built and even stronger arms that made him seem fierce and just a bit scary. He was handsome too but stuck out in his simple slacks and plain shirt in a restaurant where everyone else was dressed as if royalty. Clearly he did not belong there. If anything at all he only worked there, but that didn't matter. None of it did really because the moment Kun-loon saw him was the moment she saw her future, her future as _his _wife and the mother to _his _children.

Sadly, her parents did not see it as well.

Kun-loon's father was a sharp man and caught the look in her eyes the moment it appeared. He frowned and pulled her back into the conversation quickly only removing his attention from her when she ran off to use the bathroom. It didn't matter though because the minute they returned home that night he made it very clear that Kun-loon was to be married to whatever-his-name was and only left her alone when Kun-loon made it just as clear that she understood.

But understanding meant nothing.

Just because Kun-loon knew she was supposed to marry another didn't mean she _would. _At least, not without experiencing the taste of another fruit first so while she nodded to her father's words and spilled out the answers he wanted, she secretly clutched at the number she caught during her _bathroom break_.

Her marriage was set for a year at the time and with every Monday through Saturday spent on further studies and lessons with Sunday's being time forced with her husband-to-be, Kun-loon, like the rebellious woman she suddenly became, began to sneak away to meet with Hiro whenever she could. Lessons were canceled behind her parent's back and some nights meant for sleeping were ignored in favor of sneaking. She met Hiro at every given chance and only fell for him further and further every time. Neither her mother nor father knew, if they did it would be horrible, but with Kun-loon's wedding nearing every day it became clear that they would have to find out.

It was a week a before the wedding that Kun-loon was found missing.

Kun-loon was twenty and her things, aside from clothing, were all there but in place of her on her bed was a letter explaining her relationship with Hiro. The letter was given to and read by Kun-loon's parents and, as she expected, they rushed to Higurashi shrine the moment the words sunk in, but it was useless. Pointless.

Because Kun-loon was married by the time they came.

Her father was furious, even more so when Kun-loon disagreed to a divorce, and after a long while of harsh words and expressions, left with Kun-loon's mother and the demand that Kun-loon never see them again. He was ashamed of his daughter's actions and horrified when he learned that she had already given herself to Hiro. Hiro who was a clumsy shrine boy with little money and simple education.

It also didn't help that her husband was nearly ten years older than Kun-loon.

Still, Kun-loon did not care. She was sad that her father reacted in such a way and cried over their broken relationship for days, but she had the husband she wanted and a life she would make her own. It hurt, but she was _happy_.

Until _that _day.

It was a rather normal day to be honest. She was in the process of making dinner while her husband sat at the table stuck listening to a story his father had to tell. It was pleasant and calming when someone knocked on the door. Kun-loon put her cooking to the side for the moment to answer the door only to find a beautiful woman younger than herself standing there nervously. It wasn't completely noticeable then but looking back now Kun-loon could clearly see the forming baby bump on the woman's, Shiori's, stomach.

Had she known what she knew today back then she would have shut the door in her face.

But she didn't and that's where she brought her where she was now, sitting across from a woman she hated with a cup of tea gripped tightly with her hands. Her shopping bags full of the things Kagome needed were at her feet while Souta was still in that game store with Shiori's older son.

Her son…

Another pang shot through her heart when she recalled that lovely crimson hair and those stunning emerald eyes. He looked nothing Kagome…

Smiling bitterly at the thought, Kun-loon turned her attention back to Shiori who was looking to her with a gaze full of hope and regret. They had been talking for more than a little while by now and it was already starting to get dark outside yet their conversation hadn't really gone anywhere. It wasn't even much of a conversation, mostly just a one-sided plea case on Shiori's side.

"Please, Kun-loon…I beg of you."

The poor woman hadn't known Hiro was married.

"Let me see her."

Giving in would be the right thing to do, wouldn't it?

"Let me see my daughter."

Kun-loon was just a stubborn woman.

"No, Shiori."

But she was a stubborn woman with a grudge.

* * *

"Kuronue," Kagome sighed "You didn't honestly believe that I was clueless did you?"

Slinging his arm around her shoulders and lounging back lazily on the sofa, Kuronue shrugged sheepishly with a smile. "I wasn't really sure where you stood on the subject. How long have you known?"

"About you being a demon or a spirit?"

"Both, I guess."

"Well, when I was a little girl I didn't really know _what _to call you." Kagome admitted, allowing herself to be pulled back against his chest. There was some shifting around until they finally ended with Kuronue's back against the sofa's arm with his feet on the other and Kagome seated on top of him. Her legs were thrown over his own while her back rested against Kuronue's and once she was sure they were comfortable enough to keep still, Kagome continued. "I just kind of labeled you off as a weird vampire."

"A _vampire_?" how insulting! He was better than those damn bloodsuckers, even if his breed of bats were closely related to them. "That's what you came up with?"

"What was I suppose to think? I didn't know anything about demons back then, Kuronue. If anything the most information I had came from grandpa's crazy stories and in _those _he made it sound like all demons were weird…_things_. I saw your wings and fangs and Dracula was the only thing I thought to relate you to."

"Humph."

Rolling her eyes and knowing without having to turn around that he was pouting at her back, Kagome sighed and reached back to pat her cheek. "There, there. I know better now, oh feared demon. No need to act like a child."

"I am _not _acting like a child!"

"Of course you aren't." She cooed stopping her patting his cheek in favor of pinching it. "Now be a good boy and let me finish."

"Yes mother."

His yelp of pain brought a small sense of victory when she pinched his cheek _extra _hard. "Anyways, I really did learn better after falling through the well. I might have not known about the different types of demons but I knew enough to figure out what the fangs, claws, ears, and wings meant. Everything was just kind of proven when we helped out that adorable little white haired hanyou." A thoughtful look crossed her face. "Though you look _far _different than _those_ demons."

"Thank the gods for that." Kuronue mumbled. "Their leader may have been powerful but those demons were one of the weakest yet most common breed of bat demons. My kind isn't all that rare, though we tend to keep to ourselves and out from view, but we're on the stronger side."

"How strong _are _you, Kuronue? You've been teaching me to protect myself but I haven't really seen anything to tell how much strength you have."

"How powerful do _you _think I am?"

"Depends," Kagome grinned cheekily. "Should I overlook your fear of Kirara when answering?"

"It is _not _a fear."

"Is that why you only ever glare at her from _behind _me?"

"No, that's just an excuse to check out your ass."

"Don't you do that enough already?"

"Nope~ In fact I should do it more."

Chuckling at the pink ting on her cheeks Kuronue cuddled her happily while she simply let him with a pout. "You're such a clingy demon."

"You love me though." Kuronue purred, waiting for the loud denial.

Surprisingly Kagome only flushed more and stuttered her way into a different topic. "W-Well? Are you strong or n-not?"

Interesting.

Pushing down the rising fluttering warmth in his chest, he shouldn't get hopeful here, Kuronue chuckled and nodded. "I wouldn't want to gloat," Bull. "But yeah, I'm pretty damn strong if I do say so myself."

"Someone seems cocky…_don't even say it._"

Grinning and biting down his little comment on her word choice Kuronue decided to just move on. "Well you know I'm a demon and all but how did you learn about me being a spirit?" If anything he wouldn't have been surprised if she learned after meeting the little ghost girl.

As if reading his mind though Kagome shook her head in reply to his silent question, a small glare being directed at him. "The first time I brought Hojo home to study, _someone _decided it would be amusing to play haunted house. After having things thrown at him Hojo ended up running out while screaming ghost. After that I just started thinking about it and well, it made sense. No one else ever really hears or sees you after all and when Souta sat on you that one time he just kind of…went through you."

"Weren't you scared?" For a moment Kagome was silent and Kuronue felt something a lot like worry bubble in the pit of his stomach. Had she been afraid of him? "Kagome…?"

"I've always been afraid of you being a spirit, Kuronue." Kagome whispered. "The thought still scares me, to be honest." Kuronue could swear something had shoved a knife through his heart. "I…"

"It's okay." He said softly. "You don't need to explain. If I really scare you I could stay away."

"What?" Eyes widening, Kagome gasped and twisted around. "Oh, I didn't mean it like _that _Kuronue! I'm not afraid of _you _it's just…" Sighing and reaching for his hand, Kagome met his eyes with a sad blue gaze. "_You _don't scare me, Kuronue. If anything you've always been the one to chase any fears I had away, but the fact that you're a spirit…that means you've died, and _that _scares me more than anything because I can't possibly even begin to picture how _you_ ended dying. I don't think I'd _want _to know."

Staring at her with soft eyes of understanding, Kuronue smiled. "You idiot." He whispered quietly as his arms wrapped around her in a sweet embrace. "I doesn't matter _how _I died. Knowing that won't change anything and even if it did it wouldn't matter." Her mouth opened to disagree but he quickly shushed her with a breath taking smile full of fangs. "You're already stuck with me, tenshi. It can't get any worse than for you."

"But-"

"Shush."

"Kuro-"

"Not hearing it."

"Kuronue!"

"Nope."

"You're such a-"

"Sexy thing? Thank you, you aren't so bad yourself."

Knowing he wouldn't let her stay on the topic anymore Kagome shook her head and sighed before smiling to herself when Kuronue continued on with his usual perverted remarks. He really was something…but…

"Kuronue?"

"Yes?"

Resting her cheek on his chest she closed her eyes and muttered a simple "Shut up." to which Kuronue happily did as told, claws coming to run through her hair the moment her eyes fluttered closed.

Dead or alive, demon or not…_he was here._

And in the end that's all that really mattered to her.

.

.

.

"Please take your hand off of my ass, Kuronue."

"Damnit."

* * *

It wasn't until well pass eight that Kun-loon returned home with a tired Souta trailing slowly behind. She told him their late dinner would be ready in less than an hour, allowing him to return to his room and video games with Kagome's bags in his arms to be dropped off in her room on his way. Kun-loon watched him go before making her way to the kitchen a tired smile on her lips appearing when she saw the sight waiting for her on the living room couch.

"What am I going to do with you…?" She questioned softly, tip-toeing to Kagome so that she could brush the hair from her sleeping face. "You always seem to be sleeping when you're here." The words could have been taken wrongly but she meant no harm with them. She loved her daughter.

"_I have a right to see my own daughter!"_

Stiffening, Kun-loon pulled her hand away from Kagome and quickly walked off into the kitchen, unaware of Kuronue's narrowed gaze following after her.

Kagome was _her _daughter.

The guilt in her heart would settle with time.

* * *

Kun-loon Higurashi.

Although his meeting with her was short Shuichi, mostly known as Kurama to those given the right, found himself with an instant disliking of the woman. Her appearance wasn't threatening or anything but as he sat next to his silent mother on the train leading them home, he couldn't shake off the negativity that clouded her image. He wasn't sure what her relationship to that other woman was, they hadn't begun speaking until after he was out of hearing range, but it was clear that his mother had been hurt.

"Shuichi…?" She whispered quietly to herself, waiting until he looked to her to continue. "I love you, Shuichi."

Rage consumed his heart yet only fondness for his mother coated his words. "I love you too, mother."

His mother had never looked so sad.

* * *

**I feel kind of bad for making Kun-loon the current bitch of the story….oh well! Anyways, I'm sure you all have an idea on what's going on and while I know most of you have figured it out by now, you won't get to hear the back story until later on in the story. It may seem a little sudden to drop this whole "Kagome is Shiori's daughter?" thing, but there's a reason for that. Kagome's relationship to Shiori and Kurama (who is her age for anyone confused) will play a bigger part later. Until then I hope you all enjoy whatever I feel like throwing at you!**

**Oh, and as for Kagome's and Kuronue's relationship~ Kuronue likes Kagome and Kagome likes Kuronue. Its kiiiiinda clear (I'm not trying to hide it) but they don't know about the others full feelings yet.**

_**Yet**_**. Keep that in mind!**

**Thank you all for the stunning reviews! Please do review again!**

**Kagomes Kit**


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